Arms
by Flower in the River
Summary: "She knew when a relationship was doing more harm than good."
1. Chapter 1

**I promise I don't own Bleach. So, Mr. Lawyer, don't sue me, kay?**

**Also, I don't own the song. The song at the end is "Arms" by Christina Perri.**

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><p>Inoue Orihime was air-headed, and tended to zone out often. She was extremely naïve and far too clumsy for her own good.<p>

But she was also smart, and had the class standings to prove it.

She knew when a relationship was doing more harm than good.

She and Ichigo had been going out for several months now, since a few weeks after the Hueco Mundo incident. She loved him, truly and deeply, and he, somehow, had returned her feelings.

But it was taking a toll on him, and she could see it.

Hueco Mundo still haunted her. At night, Aizen was there again, Ulquiorra was threatening her again, those arrancar girls were attacking her again. The spiritual pressures of her friends were disappearing again.

She would wake up, screaming, and her reiatsu would skyrocket. Ichigo would be there in minutes, ready to save her from whatever threat was there. When it turned out to be nothing, he would hold and soothe her until dawn.

These late night excursions to protect her from nothing were showing. He was tired, he had bags under his eyes and his grades were slipping. She told him he didn't need to come anymore, but it didn't matter. He came anyway.

_It's the kind of person he was_, she thought. _Ready to throw himself away for the people he loves._

Orihime wasn't going to let him throw himself away for her.

Breaking up with him wouldn't help; he would still show up to save her, no matter what. He had done that when Soul Society branded her a traitor, hadn't he?

No, what she needed to do was _disappear. _Go somewhere she could hide, blend in, and not be found.

She could protect herself from hollows if she needed to.

_If I can't, that's just natural selection at work, isn't it? _She mused, a small sad smile quirking up the corner of her mouth.

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><p>She disappeared that night.<p>

Ichigo and Tatsuki had both rushed to her apartment, concerned that they couldn't feel her presence.

Her apartment was neat and tidy, with few things missing. Just her suitcase, several outfits, money, and her beloved portrait of her brother, according to Tatsuki. Her stereo was still on, playing a single American song on repeat.

Neither Ichigo nor Tatsuki had the heart to turn it off.

Two notes sat on her table, addressed to Ichigo and Tatsuki, respectively. Ichigo took his with shaking hands, afraid of what he would find.

_Ichigo-kun,  
><em>_Don't feel bad. This isn't your fault at all. You did nothing wrong.  
><em>_Please don't try to find me._

He fell to his knees in her apartment, still clutching the note tightly.

"Don't leave me," he moaned aloud, not caring that Tatsuki was right there, or that there was no way for Orihime to hear him. "You can't. I love you, Orihime…"

The song continued playing softly in the background.

_The world is coming down on me and I can't find a reason to be loved_

_I never wanna leave you, but I can't make you bleed if I'm alone_

_You put your arms around me_

_And I believe_

_That it's easier for you to let me go…_

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><p><strong>Poor Hime. And poor Ichigo.<strong>

**This is my first multi-chapter IchiHime fic. It's also one of my first darker fics for Ichihime. I hope I did all right!**

**Pretty pretty please review?**


	2. Chapter 2

**I own my brain, which is doing cartwheels because we get today off.**

**I don't own Bleach or the song "Arms."**

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><p>He was falling apart.<p>

After three weeks, he returned to school. There was nowhere left for him to search for Orihime. He and Tatsuki had gone through every nook and cranny of Karakura Town, traveled to Yokohama to see if she'd returned there, and even gone to her hometown. They were out of ideas.

If Ichigo had his way, he'd still be out there, working himself ragged trying to find her. His friends intervened, reminding him of two things.

First, Orihime would be upset if she knew Ichigo was missing school to look for her.

Second, she'd asked him not to find her.

So he went to school, but he was an empty shell. He didn't speak, he didn't take notes.

His eyes were dead.

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><p>"Welcome!"<p>

Orihime smiled, adjusting the frilly skirts she was wearing as part of her waitress uniform. The smile wasn't like it used to be. It lacked her brightness, her true happiness.

Her eyes were dead.

Where had she gone?

Tokyo. The perfect place for a person to disappear.

Even if Ichigo knew she was there, it would be nearly impossible to find her among the thousands and thousands of people there.

_Ichigo-kun…_She shook her head. The door opened, and she turned.

"Wel…" she trailed off, eyes widening.

A scowl.

A _familiar _scowl.

She blinked. The businessman was glaring at her, and she struggled to keep her composure.

"S-sumimasen. Table for one?"

She showed him to his table, then practically bolted to the bathroom.

"Inoue-san?"

"Gomene, Kawakami-san! I'm taking my break!" she called, locking the door behind her and slowly slumping to the floor.

_Ichigo-kun._

She missed him enough that she was seeing him everywhere, even though she knew he couldn't be here.

She knew she shouldn't be missing him, either. She left of her own will, to make it better for him.

She should be _happy._

"Smile…" she whispered, pressing her hands into her face. The tears still flowed, and she drew her knees up to her chest.

"Be happy…smile…be happy…"

She was falling apart.

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><p><em>I hope that you see right through my walls<em>

_I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling..._

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><p><strong>...I'm really cruel to them, aren't I? <strong>

**This will only have one, maybe two more chapters. I might add an epilogue, if you guys really want one.**

**Thanks so much to _wt183, ShortFingerNails, Child of the Ashes, GothChiq80, RukiaGallega, ichihime shaz _and _himelove22_ for reviewing last chapter!**

_**wt183, **_**I've decided not to answer that...because I'm evil like that xD**

_**ShortFingerNails-**_**same as the answer I gave _wt183. _**

**Don't worry though, both your questions will be answered in later chapters :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Bleach isn't mine, and I am not Christina Perri. Therefore, I own almost nothing except the idea.**

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><p>The next time they met, it was entirely by coincidence.<p>

His father had a medical conference in Tokyo and had insisted they all come along, shouting something about "family bonding time." Ichigo had managed to escape, and decided to stop into a restaurant for some well-needed coffee.

"Wel…"

The tray slipped from Orihime's hands as she stared at the man who entered.

Ichigo had frozen, standing in the doorway. Neither knew what to do.

Orihime made the first move, dashing for the back door of the restaurant with tears in her eyes.

_Why? Why is he here?__ He's not supposed to be here!_

"ORIHIME!" Ichigo shouted, running after her. _Damnit! I wish I could use shunpo in this body!_

They ran through the Tokyo streets, Ichigo catching up to the healer slowly but surely. Finally, she turned into an alley and stopped, trapped. Ichigo stood between her and the street.

"S-santen kessun, I reject!" Orihime's trademark triangular shield lit the dim alleyway, separating the two.

"Orihime…" Ichigo had backed up a step, shocked by her reaction on seeing him.

"Ichigo-kun, why are you here? You…you're not supposed to be here! You'll get hurt…I'll be a burden again…"

"Orihime." Ichigo's voice was firm, though his eyes were gentle. "Is that why you ran away?"

She turned away, trying to hide the tears streaming down her face.

"You're not a burden, Orihime. You never were." She shook her head, so he continued. "You're my strength."

She looked up, surprised.

"You're the one who patches me up after battles, the one who blocks the attacks I can't see." He stepped forward, reaching his hand out. "If I'm protecting you, I have to win. If you're by my side, I can't lose."

Orihime sobbed, but for a different reason than before.

"I love you, Orihime."

He reach out further. Her shield didn't shatter, as it did if it was broken by an enemy, or disappear like it would if she called it back. Instead, the center of it parted, to let Ichigo through.

"Your heart wasn't into putting a shield between us, was it?"

"Ichigo-kun…" she whispered, burying her face in his chest. "I love you, so much…"

"You too," he murmured, stroking her hair.

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><p>She no longer had to worry about him rushing to her house at midnight.<p>

She now spent every night in his arms.

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><p><em>You put your arms around me <em>

_And I'm home._

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><p><strong>That's the end of "Arms"! My first completed multi-chapter fic on this site!<strong>

**No, I'm _totally _not posting this in order to justify starting a HP/FMA crossover fic...despite needing to work on my other Ichihime fic 毒姫 and my Byakuya/Hisana fic "100 Petals"...what are you talking about? -.-**

**In any case, please review!**


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